The Stony Brook softball team was no-hit on its home grounds on Wednesday, April 27 against the UMBC Retrievers. However, thanks to three UMBC errors and Seawolves ace Dawn Bodrug throwing a no-hitter of her own, it didn’t matter.
Stony Brook (27-13, 7-3 AE) crowded the pitcher’s mound with smiles all around after the 2-0 victory. The game breezed by, taking one hour and 20 minutes to complete.
Defending her America East Pitcher of the Week honor, Bodrug threw her fourth no-hitter of the season and her sixth no-hitter of her collegiate career. It was her 17th win of the season and her 46th career complete game. All four of Bodrug’s no-hitters this season came in the month of April.
Courtney Coppersmith, the star pitcher for UMBC (24-8, 8-4 AE), also threw her ninth career no-hitter and third of the year. Coppersmith tossed a 20-strikeout perfect game on March 11 against Brown and threw a no-hitter eight days later against Quinnipiac.
Against Stony Brook, she needed only 72 pitches across her six innings, striking out seven and only walking one. However, that walk wound up proving costly. Originally an uneventful pitcher’s duel, everything changed for the Seawolves’ favor when the Retrievers slipped up with back to back to back errors.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Seawolves had their first baserunner when third baseman Brooke Dye drew the walk. Then, left fielder Shauna Nuss bunted, but UMBC third baseman Anna Lonchar made a throwing error that allowed Nuss to reach. Backing up the play, Retrievers right fielder Macy Granzow’s throw, intended for the second baseman, sailed into left field as Dye scored and Nuss advanced to second.
Nuss scored when center fielder Alicia Orosco followed with another bunt that the Retrievers’ second baseman mishandled to make it 2-0. Since both of Coppersmith’s runs were unearned, her ERA fell to 0.41, the second lowest in Division I.
“Dawn threw a terrific game and was in control,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said in a press release. “This was a great effort by our team and a key win for us. We knew it was going to be a pitcher’s battle, but it was crazy to have two no-hitters. Our small ball game was the difference maker and our defense was better.”
The Seawolves previously lost two away games to the Retrievers on April 13 in a doubleheader. Those defeats gave Stony Brook a stronger mindset to come fully prepared for a beautiful bounceback on Wednesday.
Bodrug, owner of a 1.65 ERA, struck out 12 in this no-hitter against two walks, a strong improvement over her last outing against the Retrievers when she fanned just nine and allowed five earned runs. Her 261 strikeouts this season are currently the third most in the nation.
Up next for Stony Brook is a rematch against Hofstra on Thursday, April 28 at University Field. The Seawolves already beat the Pride 7-0 back on March 22 when Bodrug recorded 15 strikeouts.
